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To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which areas of Kosovo remain polluted or contaminated as a result of the NATO military action in 1999; what plans there are to remove and remediate this contamination; what resources have been set aside to carry out this clean-up;...

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

14 December 2004

For answer on

10 January 2005

Answered on

10 January 2005

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which areas of Kosovo remain polluted or contaminated as a result of the NATO military action in 1999; what plans there are to remove and remediate this contamination; what resources have been set aside to carry out this clean- up; and if he will make a statement on the future of Kosovo. [205900] Mr. MacShane: Data on residual mines and other unexploded ordnance in Kosovo is supplied to us by the United Nations interim administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). At present there are 37 individual dangerous areas left to clear. These areas are mostly in the Dulje Pass close to the Prizren area or along the border with Albania. However, more contaminated areas are likely to be discovered as the population returns to areas which have not been occupied since the conflict. Following NATO intervention in Kosovo to avert an immediate and overwhelming humanitarian disaster, the UK was the first country to have de-miners on the ground in Kosovo. The UK Government have spent over £10 million on de-mining activities in the Balkans, over £5 million of which was spent in 1999-2000 on de- mining in Kosovo. Their de-mining activities have included clearance of unexploded munitions such as cluster bomb submunitions but also cover residual mines and other unexploded ordnance laid (both in set minefields and scattered randomly) during the Serbian- Albanian conflict. The UK Government provide funding to the HALO Trust which is one of the agencies involved in helping to clear the remaining mined areas that have been identified. UK Government funding is also provided to a Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC) capacity building project with Handicap International through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool. UNMIK has an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) management team whose role is one of coordination, planning and management of the ongoing clearance by all the parties involved: KFOR, KPC and NGOs. The UNMIK EOD team is in effect the primary mine clearing authority. There will be a formal review in mid 2005 of Kosovo's progress in meeting the standards laid down by the UN (Kosovo Standards Implementation Plan (KSIP)). If Kosovo has made the necessary progress, then a process will begin to determine its final status in accordance with UNSCR 1244 (1999). If progress is insufficient, then there will be another review at a later date.

Date

10 January 2005

Reference

205900; 429 c24-5W

House

House of Commons

Dept for International Development

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what contribution in terms of (a) speakers and (b) resources his Department made to the International Conference reviewing the 1997 Ottawa Convention on Landmines held in December in Nairobi; and if he will place in the Library the final declaration of...

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Department for International Development

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

15 December 2004

Reference

204326; 428 c1138W;428 c1138-9W

House

House of Commons

Dept for International Development

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance is being provided to Iraq (a) to clean up areas of Iraq contaminated by used weapons and equipment deployed by coalition forces, (b) to clean up urban areas contaminated by depleted uranium shells used by coalition forces and (c)...

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Department for International Development

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

11 October 2004

For answer on

20 October 2004

Answered on

20 October 2004

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance is being provided to Iraq (a) to clean up areas of Iraq contaminated by used weapons and equipment deployed by coalition forces, (b) to clean up urban areas contaminated by depleted uranium shells used by coalition forces and (c) for training Iraqi scientists and engineers to decontaminate land despoiled by military activities; and what communications his Department has had with Iraq's environment Minister on environmental clean up in Iraq. [190759] Hilary Benn: The Government are supporting the Iraqi Interim Government in the clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) as part of post-conflict reconstruction in Iraq. De-mining organisations part- funded by DFID (the UN Mine Action Service and the Mines Advisory Group) are working with local organisations and the UK military to plot the locations of UXO and carry out disposals. DFID is also contributing to mine risk education programmes through UNICEF, and DFID funding is available for de-mining activities through the United Nations trust fund for Iraq. UK armed forces personnel have been carrying out ordnance disposal activities and removing surface-lying depleted uranium (DU) fragments from battlefield areas. They have also been exchanging information with humanitarian and commercial organisations involved in ordnance disposal work, and warning Iraqis through signs and leaflets that they should not go near or touch battlefield debris. The Ministry of Defence has offered advice to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Post Conflict Assessment Unit on carrying out risk assessments on DU within urban areas and on long- term monitoring of DU in the environment. DFID is providing financial support to UNEP for post-conflict environmental assessment work in Iraq, which includes technical assistance and capacity building for the Iraqi Environment Ministry. UNEP is also receiving significant funding from other donors through the UN trust fund for Iraq. UNEP has worked with Iraqi institutions to develop a contaminated sites database and a plan for the remediation of environmental "hotspots". The sites include industrial facilities, landfills, and sewage treatment plants as well as battlefield areas. UNEP has provided training for approximately 300 Iraqi officials and scientists in areas including contaminated sites assessment, environmental inspections, laboratory analysis and environmental impact assessment. Two training programmes on depleted uranium are scheduled for the third and final quarters of this year.

Date

20 October 2004

Reference

425 c742W; 190759

House

House of Commons

LANDMINE ERADICATION

That this House applauds the efforts of all those who continue to tackle the appalling humanitarian and development problems caused by landmines and unexploded ordnance in more than 82 countries worldwide; applauds in particular those musicians such as Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Chrissie Hynde, Billy Bragg and other who have...

Primary sponsor

Frank Cook (Labour)

Type

Early day motions

Date

27 October 2003

Reference

1820

House

House of Commons

Dept for International Development

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make a statement on the frequency of the accidental triggering of landmines arising from the internal emigration of Afghans from the cities to the countryside following the start of the bombing of Afghan cities in October 2001. -...

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Department for International Development

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

15 January 2002

For answer on

23 January 2002

Answered on

23 January 2002

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the frequency of the accidental triggering of land mines arising from the internal emigration of Afghans from the cities to the countryside following the start of the bombing of Afghan cities in October 2001. [28652] Hilary Benn: Afghanistan has long been one of the countries most severely affected by land mine contamination, a problem which has existed for about 20 years. The provision of precise information on mine/UXO victims since September 2001 is very limited. Reporting to hospitals by land mine/UXO victims has been disrupted by hostilities and by the restrictions on freedom of movement. The limited information that has been reported to the Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan (MAPA) indicates that land mines continue to claim lives throughout the country as people move in areas that are at risk. Unfortunately the problem is expected to worsen with the increasing repatriation of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Mine action operations will continue to be focused on supporting humanitarian aid movements through the clearance of communication routes, airports and high priority areas near to civilian populations, thereby reducing the risk for returnees. Coalition forces are sharing information with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS). As part of our overall commitment of £60 million to support the UN led humanitarian and recovery effort, we have allocated £3 million through UNMAS for future humanitarian mine action interventions in Afghanistan. This will cover mine clearance operations in Afghanistan as described above.

Date

23 January 2002

Reference

28652; 378 c892-3W;378 c891-2W

House

House of Commons

Dept for International Development

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what advice she has given to aid workers deployed in Kosovo with the support of her Department in respect of hazards posed by the residual radioactivity remaining from the use of depleted uranium shells by allied forces in Kosovo. - Includes...

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Department for International Development

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

6 April 2000

Reference

347 c581W; 117070

House

House of Commons

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

If he will update his Answer to the honourable Member for Leyton of 31 January 1994, Official Report, column 494W, on landmines. - Inc table.

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

19 February 1996

Reference

15628; 272 c24-6W;272 c20-2W

House

House of Commons

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

What proposals were put forward by the United Kingdom to the United Nations Conference on land mine clearance in Geneva on 5 to 7 July; and to give details of the outcome of the meeting. - Inc fig for UN voluntary trust fund. (Holding answer 10 July 1995).

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

11 July 1995

Reference

263 c494W

House

House of Commons

ERADICATION OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES

That this House notes that in December 1992 Colonel A.E.F. Cowan OBE, formerly military attache in Belgrade, applied at the behest of Kathy Wilkes of the Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik, for an export licence for mine detection equipment for use in mine clearance prior to rebuilding of houses damaged by internal...

Primary sponsor

Frank Cook (Labour)

Type

Early day motions

Date

9 March 1994

Reference

800

House

House of Commons

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

What response Her Majesty's Government has made to the appeal by the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Somalia for assistance with dismantling of unstable ground to air missiles.

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

14 January 1994

Reference

235 c304W

House

House of Commons

CAMBODIAN MINE ACTION CENTRE

That this House notes that there are between four and 10 million landmines in Cambodia which are killing or maiming between 300 and 500 Cambodians each month and rendering large tracts of land unusable; praises the work of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, which has for the past 18 months...

Primary sponsor

Lord Steel of Aikwood

Type

Early day motions

Date

27 October 1993

Reference

2544

House

House of Commons

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